hath delt forth the most plentifull store of his grace to the Gentiles And the fewnesse of those that receiue Christ sheweth vs Gods treasures as it were more richely and plenteously and therfore maketh vs the richer P. God graunt that your thankfulnes may be answerable to his so many so great benefites And for my part I say plainly to you gētiles that althogh I be your Apostle yet I indeuer to aduance cōmend mine office tovvards both of you to you that Christe may be a full and effectuall worker in you and I extoll your profiting to the Iewes to see if I can by any meanes prouoke my kinsfolke to follovve your example and saue some of them and in so doing I consider oftentimes with my selfe how great ioy there woulde be among men and how vnspeakable glory would redounde to the euerlasting God for their saluatiō For if the casting away of the Israelites be the reconcilement of the world what else shall their recouerie be but life from death Of Gods mercyfulnesse towardes the Iewes I doubt not at all But I am in some doubt whether they will answere to Gods voyce and open their eyes to the lighte that shineth vpon them specially forasmuche as I see them to bee nowe so hardharted of so wilfull stubborne minde and so rebelious agaynst the truthe P. It is not for vs to iudge of any mās saluation or damnation The Lord knoweth vvho be his yea euen among the Iewes of whō seeing that the first fruites are holy the whole crop is holy also And if the roote be holy the bowes shal be partakers of holynes also The which you shall vnderstand more plainly thus The nation of the Iewes considered in generalitie and in their roote that is to wit in Abraham is holy notwithstanding that many of the braunches be cut of Therefore in iudging the Israelites we must not stand vpon their owne vnworthines to thinke them all cast away at once but vve must cōsider the roote of the couenaunt rather looke back to their faithfull forefathers that wee may thinke that the couenant of blessednes remaineth stil in their posterity which shall vndoubtedly be discouered in his due time R. Truly Paule you speake very modestly euē of your most deadly aduersaries you hope well of thē And would God that we followed this example of yours For there ar many of vs who bicause they haue obteined mercy of God do triūph ouer the Iewes that hold scorne of gods grace despising thē counting them as forlorne castawayes and by al meanes seeke to do them mischeefe P. You therfore my brother beware that you follow not the vntowarde maner of dealing of such men For beleeue me suche maner of slouthfulnesse shall not scape so And if that some of the boughes be broken of thou beeing a wild oliue art greffed in for them and made partaker of the roote and sap of the Oliue boast not thy selfe agaynst naturall boughes but if thou boast cōsider that thou bearest not the roote but the roote thee R. But those boughes which thou callest naturall are plucked away and falne downe that I might be greffed in Now is it not lawfull for me being so greffed in to glory and to preferre my self before the natural boughes of the Oliue which are broken and falne downe notwithstanding that I was sometime a wylde Olife P. This that you say is neither all nor nothing Well maist thou glory of thy greffing in howbeit but in God not to the contēpt of other men For they were brokē off by vnbelefe thou stādest by beleefe Therfore be not proud but rather be afrayde For if God spared not the naturall braunches beware least he spare not thee also To conclude in fevv words and consider thou thou I say and all the Gentiles for looke what I say to one I say to all marke I say gods gentlenes and rigour Rigour towards suche as are falne but gentlenes towardes thy selfe Howebeit vppon condition that thou continue in fayth now that thou hast receyued gentlenes at gods hand for else thou shalt be cut off in like case as they were cut off through vnbeleefe Yea and the Israelites if they continue not in vnbeleefe shall be greffed in agayne For god according to his accustomed mercy towards such as amend is able to greffe them in agayne For if thou beeing cut out of a naturall wild O life wert against nature greffed into a true Olife hovve muche more shall they that are the naturall braunches be greffed into their ovvne Olife agayne R. By this meanes many are cut of for a time that is to say they be without the roote which in their time shal be greffed in And many also after a sort and to see too are now ingreffed who notwithstanding are through their own fault cut off afterward and vtterly cast away P. So is it By the vvay I woulde that you my brethren I speake to the Gentiles should not be ignorant of this secret least you should be proude of your selues that this hardning which is falne in part vpon Israel is happened but for a time til the fulnesse of the Gentils become in and so shal al Israell be saued as it is vvritten and confirmed by the rewarde of Esay vvho hath opened this heauenly secret vnto vs in suche words as these Esa 29.9 Out of Sion sayth he shall come the deliuerer and he shall turne avvay the Iniquities of Iacob Also in another place he comforteth the Israelites in this wise frō Gods own mouth saying Esa 9. 20 This shal be the couenant that I will make vvith thē when I shal haue taken away their sinnes To conclude at a vvord the Israelites are not cast away neither altogether nor without certein hope Therefore as in respecte of the Gospell they are enemies hovvbeit but for your sakes But all in respect of election they are beloued for their forefathers and auncesters sakes For Gods gifte and calling are suche as he beeing most mercifull can not repent hym of them R. Then seeing that the couenant of eternall life was once stablished with the Iewish nation it can not be disanulled P. No verily Also you must consider that although the vnbeleeuers stubborne harted be worthily punished yet this hardnednes of the Ievves hapneth not properly for any hatred that god beareth to that nation but to the end there might be as it were a gap opened to bring the gentiles into the Church and that the Iewes beeing afterwarde kindled with a kinde of enuying at the mercy shevved to the gentiles might also be made partakers of the same benefits so it might manifestly be sene that both the gentiles the Iewes that beleue gods promises are chosen called saued not by the desert of their works but by gods onely grace and mercy For like as you in times past obeyed not god and yet haue novve obteyned mercy throgh their stubbornes so they also
I had bin off from it Then sin by the name of sin I meane the corruptnesse and lustfulnesse whiche earst without the law might haue seemed to be dead sin I say being accused and cōdemned by the lawe and therewithall wakened and stirred vp began to wax lyuely againe and I was deade in the syght of God and of his euerlasting law when I perceiued mine owne naughtinesse and so it fell oute that the thing which was gyuen me to leade me vnto lyfe for the lavv sheweth which way to go to God who is our lyfe led me vnto death not through any default of it selfe but bicause that I was so lewd that I not onely obeyed it not but also such was my pryde taking skorne to be so bound by the law striued and struggled by all meanes against it lyke a mad and frantik man Therfore sin that is to say myne ovvne invvarde corruptnesse beguiled mee and called mee backe from the ryght vvay vvhich the lavv shevved me and so slevv me at his ovvne plesure by taking occasiō at the cōmaūdement vvhere none at all vvas giuen least you should imagin that gods lavv vvere sin R. Then do you vtterly discharge the commaundement of the lawe by whose occasion the thing was doone from all blame of naughrines or lewdnes P. What els 1. Ti. 1.8.12 For the lavve is holie vvhich shevved me vvhat I ought to do but I vvas vvicked in taking occasion at goodnesse to become vvorse R. These thinges are well But how came it to passe that the cōmaundement whiche of his owne nature is good became death vnto you And looke what I say of you the same doo I meane of my selfe also being in my former state P. You must not in any vvise thinke that it vvas long of the commaundement but sin that is to say corruptnesse or concupiscence bred death in me by meanes of the good commaundement and of the lavv vvhich is both ryghtful and holy caused it to seeme to be sin so the naughtines of it vvas bevvrayed in that it toke occasion of euill euen vvhere none vvas giuen and sin vvas so euill that of the commaundement vvhich is good it toke occasiō to grow in it selfe to put foorth it selfe more feersly and furiously R. As oft as I call to remembraunce that heauenly and in manner vnutterable orderlynesse and forecast which God vseth towards sinners and euill men in the very tyme of their iustifying I cannot but praise his most diuine mercy and prouidence in leading men at length through so many roughe steepe places full of daungers to the knowledge of his Christ that they may becomme rightuous and beare in mynde their former state vndoutedly of all states most miserable who I besech you would beleue your discourses concerning the offices of the law if he had not first had experience of all these things in himselfe P. In deede it is true as you say and these things require the practise of godlinesse the experience of iustificatiō For before that time sin and mans wicked concupisence are so styrred vp that sin becommeth out of measure sinfull and euill insomuch that death is ingendred of sin and the law not through any fault of the lawe but of sin For the law as much as in it lyeth gyueth lyfe by shewing vs the way of lyfe But for as much as the law is spiritual it requireth of vs not onely the outward deeds but also the inwarde affections of the hart Also it requireth of vs all diuine vertues in their full perfection togither with their fruits and deeds proceading from a godly instinct tending to the glory of God Now I at that tyme being yet earthly and more ouer a bondslaue of sin as you and all others were when ye had not yet receaued the spirit of rightuousnesse was not able to discerne the dignity holinesse and excellency of the lavv and much lesse was vvilling to submit my necke vnder the yoke of it too frame both my mind and all my doings according to the precise rule therof R. Suerly I haue often tryed this and I finde it true that it is not all in my power not onely to loue God with all my hart to haue a perfect beleefe in him to hope for all thinges at his hand to loue other men specially to loue myne enemyes with all my hart and that only for Gods glories sake to be indued with all Christian vertues as perfect as is possible as the rightuous and holye lawe of God byndeth me but not euen to rule the affectiōs of my mind to be at a word surely I feele that without Gods grace and the spirit of rightuousnesse I cannot but loue my selfe and worldly things to much I cannot loue God aboue all naturall things and much lesse with all my whole hart nother can I fall to harty attonement with myne enemies but rather euen yet still I am inforced I wote not how to hate thē bycause I am earthly and the seruaunt of sin and concupiscence which reigning tyrannously in me do ouer rule me and harrie me about at their vnbridled pleasure nother am I able too wyth stande them of my selfe P. These thinges are very modestly spoken but I hope it is better vvith you than you speake of In the meane tyme I am glad to heere this your accusation For you speake by experience and I coniecture by your vvoords that you haue bin a verie diligent examiner of your selfe For all men perceiue not this tyranny of sinne But I vvill proceede to declare in my selfe vvhat is vvont to happen to suche as are in regenerating Surely I vvist not vvhat too do I put you out of doubt I doo many things that I acknovvledg not for mine ovvne For I doo not the good vvhiche I vvould doo but the euill vvhich I hate that commit I oftentymes Wherupon I conclude after this manner vvith my selfe concerning the perilles that are past If I do that I vvould not then loke vvhat the lavv forbiddeth that doo I hate as vnright and I mislyke of it but the thing that the lavv commaundeth lyketh my minde very vvell So then vvith my mynde I consent to the lavve that it is good I allovv of it as rightfull hovvbeit that I my selfe am earthly Wherfore if I doo against it it is not I that doo it but sinne that dvvelleth in me For sinfulnesse vvhose prisoner I am ouermaystereth me and caryeth mee avvay to the doing of that thing vvhich I vvoulde not do R. By this your speache and by your acknowledginge of your former state I see nowe there are twoo kyndes of men some are vtterly lawelesse and though they do alwayes obey sinne yet feele they not the stinges of sin at all Againe there are othersome which haue I wore not what a heauenly seed with thē and although they sin and now and then obey the affections of sin yet do they it of all the while as it were vnwillingly so
truth distrusting and despayring of victory against my fleshe I am wont diuers tymes to quayle P. These doutinges of the power of Gods spirit are dauÌ„gerous Thinke you that the tyranny of sin is greater than the myght efficacie and inwardwoorking power of the holy Ghost No but assure your selues of this that if the spirit of him which raysed vp Christ from deathe be in you he vvhiche raysed vp Christ from death vvill also call againe your mortall bodyes into a lyfe beseeming your regeneration by his spirite vvhich dvvelleth in you Wherefore as many of you as professe your selues to be Christians I beseche you all lay vp these things deeply in your minds that whaÌ„ vve be once iustified sanctified regenerated indued vvith Christes spirit we are altogether detters not to the flesh to liue after the liking of the flesh to obey the corruptnes thereof but rather to the spirite to indeuer to obey him in all things R. Is there so greate perill in the not knowing in the omitting of the thing P. Yea yerely and of all perills it is the greatest For if ye liue after the lyking of the fleshe you shall surely die But if that by the spirite you vanquishe the doings works deuices desires in deuers of the flesh fyght against the lusts therof out of all doubt you shall liue you shall coÌ„tinue in the life that you haue receiued by the benefite of Christ who is the life of the faithfull euen in whose minds the quickning spirit vttereth his power R. Hereafter I will bid suche doubtinges farewell and sift better both my selfe and my doings and not yelde mine eares so open to such as do lessen and diminish the effectualnes of the holy ghost who also to th' intent their maners may answere their doctrine are wonte oftentimes to brag of the presence of Gods spirite in their hartes when as they be drowned in the filthynes of sin and wicked doings P. Let others alone stand to thine owne tackling and keepe this rule in examining thy self that as many as are led moued ruled not by their owne vnbrydled lusts but by Gods spirit they be Gods children And beleeue me he that is not sure of this being Gods child can nother be sayd to be regenerated nor in any wise satisfy the accusations of the law as which requyreth an absolute and perfect rightuousnes in all points at our haÌ„d which we be neuer able to perform except the power of the holy ghost do worke fulfill the thing in vs which he requireth in his law R. Surely it is an ouerhard thing for vs to giue our selues continually to the keeping of Gods lawe specially sith we be trenched in with so greate sinfulnesse of our fleshe wherunto the purenesse of Gods law is quite contrary P. What haue you novv to do vvith the lavv or vvith the condeÌ„nation therof For seing you be greffed into Christ and indued vvith his spirit you receiue no more the spirit of boÌ„dage that you shoulde haue to deale vvith the lavv as you had in times past but you haue receiued the spirite of adoption of Gods children I meane the spirit of fredoÌ„e of the loue of God wherby we perceiue Gods goodnesse to be so great that vve not onely call vppon him but also crie vnto him with invvarde familiaritie boldnesse and with earnest loue as vnto our father Nowe hee that hath this spirite of adoption applieth himself to the keeping of the law not as a hireling in hope of rewarde or for feare of punishment but willingly as a sonne R. I am of opinion that wee can not call God father so safely so boldly and so swetely but by the breathing of his spirite vpon vs whose recorde is moste certen as the whiche is greater than all recorde of man But I pray you whiche are the other marks of our regeneratioÌ„ P. Surely euen the inward motions of Gods spirite wil be no doubtfull signes of our regeneration in Christ For gods spirit witnesseth inwardly to our spirit that we be gods children by grace and adoption as who are partakers of his diuine nature by the same spirite in Christ R. You tell me of a great dignitie P. Truly so is it And if we be childreÌ„ then must it needes bee confessed that we shall be heires also verily the heires of God bicause we be his children and fellow heires with Christ bicause we be his brethren R. He that hath suche a recorde in him selfe neither wauereth nor staggereth in his minde But what other inwarde motions require you in the regenerated P. That they should knowe theÌ„selues to be the true members of Christ and enter into the way of the crosse armed with the remembraunce thereof For sith it behoued Christe to suffer and so to enter into his glory it is meete also that his members should not shun the state of their head specially considering how many and how great commodities spring vnto vs therof R. What commodities I pray you P. The first is that if we suffer with Christ we shall also reigne with Christ R. Truely this promise is very swete but the waye to attayne to it is very sower P. But I am of opinion that the aduersities which we suffer in this worlde are not equall or coÌ„parable to the glory that shall be vttered vpon vs in time to come R. Vnhappy certesse is the state of maÌ„kinde For only man feeleth sorrowes and troubles only man beareth all thinges onely man groweth only man is vexed and pineth away P. Nay rather if you beholde this frame of the whole worlde aduisedly you shall see that all kinde of thinges yea euen of the senslesse creatures doo with very great thoughtfull and vehement desire long for the discouerie of Gods children bicause that being very neere of kin to vs they desire our full and perfect glory and also bicause that day they themselues also shal be repaired and made immortall R. Why so P. Bicause the nature of thinges is subiect to vanitie and corruption not willingly for that is against their naturall liking but for his sake by whom they be so made subiect to decay For God is contented that they shall decâ—y to doo vs seruice withall howbeit in hope that they shall come muche more beautifull and lesse subiect to decay Else the desire of an euerlasting state vvere bred in them in vayne Therfore they themselues also shall be set free froÌ„ the thraldome of destruction and bee made likewise immortall and inioy like libertie in that they shall be from perishing when the glory of Gods children appeareth For we know how al things grone and mourne with vs vnto this day and shall doo till the day of iudgement Therefore we haue no cause to complayne R. Surely the state of the godly is miserable notwithstanding that all creatures be fellowes of their afflictions P. Nay verily the faithfull haue also euen the chiefe pillers of godlines to be their